Canon Working on Global Shutter With High Dynamic Range

Canon has developed a 2/3" sensor with a global shutter and high dynamic range, helping to pave the way toward future generations of video cameras.

The rolling shutter is a common issue in video. Because most cameras read each frame of sensor data by scanning across the frame either vertically or horizontally, this means that data from the sensor is not read simultaneously, which can cause artifacts, particularly with quickly moving subjects, the most common example being airplane propellers.

While certain cameras such as the Sony F55 have a global shutter, which reads all sensor data at the same time, the majority still use rolling shutters. Canon's global shutter CMOS sensor initially had a smaller dynamic range that required two improvements to regain a wider range. First, Canon doubled the saturated amount of electric charge (created by photodiodes turning incident light into current that is then read as brightness values) by having the sensor read the data twice at a half-speed frame rate and using an in-house analog-to-digital convertor to quickly read all the data. In other words, the sensor's pixels are saturated at 8,100 electrons at 120 fps, but 16,200 electrons at 60 fps. Second, they created a "light guide" structure that essentially funnels additional light down to the photodiodes. The result is a 2,592 by 2,054 pixel sensor with increased per-pixel sensitivity, lower noise, higher dynamic range, and a power consumption of only 0.45 W. It's impressive tech and a sign of good things to come.

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Music Compositon. He is also an avid equestrian.

Sounds like an organic-layer quantum sensor. Still ways to go for even 1-inch, let alone APS-C. Heating problems, where it does generate quite a good amount, and when it does drops performance significantly. In addition, it's operational life is not as long as CMOS. Methinks Black Silicon, where Sony is currently experimenting on, shows more promise in the near-term.

With the pace that Canon is going with their consumer products, this won't be relevant for another 30 or so years unfortunately. (I'm not salty about the 5D Mark IV's gimped 4k or anything...clearly...)